"Improvements in the investigation, management and treatment of this condition has been one of the most remarkable success stories in the last decade. The last European guidelines were published in 1997 and therefore these guidelines provide a new landmark in our mission to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe."

By European Society of Cardiology, [RxPG] The European Society of Cardiology released new Guidelines for the Management of Stable Angina Pectoris. The updated Guidelines include information on new developments in cardiovascular care, advances that have been made in improving the prognosis of coronary artery disease including the use of statins and ACE inhibitors, as well as strategies to alleviate symptoms.

The Guidelines also provide updated information in the area of risk stratification and define which patients should go on for invasive investigation and treatment.

"Stable angina pectoris is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality throughout the world," said Professor Kim Fox, chairperson of the ESC Guidelines on the Management of Stable Angina Pectoris. "Improvements in the investigation, management and treatment of this condition has been one of the most remarkable success stories in the last decade. The last European guidelines were published in 1997 and therefore these guidelines provide a new landmark in our mission to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe."

Guidelines are critical to appropriate clinical practice, comprising specific recommendations on treatment methods, collated by senior European experts and opinion leaders in the field. For maximal relevance, Guidelines must be well presented, practical and relevant to the clinician on both a national and local level. The formulations and continual update of such Guidelines is one of the primary activities of the ESC. The ESC aims to produce Guidelines that both encompass and allow for national variations across Europe and works with its National Cardiac Society members to facilitate national adaptations and translations of each Guideline issued.

The ESC represents more than 45,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of the European population by reducing the impact of cardiovascular disease.

The ESC achieves this through a variety of scientific and educational activities including the coordination of: clinical practice guidelines, education courses and initiatives, pan-European surveys on specific disease areas and the ESC Annual Congress, the largest medical meeting in Europe. Furthermore, the ESC promotes cardiovascular disease prevention messages to the general public, most notably during its annual 'For Your Heart's Sake' event, a fun yet educational event offering risk assessment and prevention advice, held in parallel to the Congress each year.

The ESC comprises 2 Councils, 4 Associations, 23 Working Groups and 49 National Cardiac Societies. Both the ESC Congress and 'For Your Heart's Sake' take place in late August/early September each year in a European 'Heart-Healthy City'. The ESC Congress 2006, to be held from 2-6 September in Barcelona, Spain, will be a joint meeting with the World Heart Federation's XVth World Congress of Cardiology.

The ESC administrative headquarters are based at the European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis, France. For more information on the ESC, Congress and initiatives, see www.escardio.org.

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